


Visiting Family

by skypirateb



Category: Greek and Roman Mythology, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Gen, Siblings, The Last Olympian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-31
Updated: 2014-08-31
Packaged: 2018-02-15 13:02:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2230014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skypirateb/pseuds/skypirateb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the battle, the King of Olympus has a couple of key questions for his mildest sibling.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Visiting Family

**Author's Note:**

> Written almost a year ago for a prompt chellerrific gave me, so kudos to her as well for giving me an excuse to finally write something with these two. Set at the end of The Last Olympian.

Zeus found Hestia sitting in one of the smaller outdoor fire pits that dotted Olympus as communal gathering points. He dropped onto one of the fat cushions next to her with a _fwoosh_. "Found you!"

Hestia stirred the fire with a poker and stoked it a little warmer before she answered. "Good evening, brother," she said with a smile. "I just finished making some flatbread, if you'd like some?"

She held up a small plate stacked with circles of flatbread that were all about the side of a handspan. Zeus' eyes lit up. "Ooooo, yes!" He took three. Balancing two of them carefully on his knee, he bit into the other. It was hot and crunchy, with a slightly smokey taste from the fire. "Got any butter?" he asked, his mouth half full. 

Hestia nudged a small tray of butter towards him as she poured two cups of tea. "I decided I've had enough excitement for the day. For rather a long time, I think." She set one of the cups next to Zeus as he slathered butter over the flatbread. 

"What kind of tea is it?" he said a little suspiciously. "And why don't you have any coffee?"

Hestia just smiled. "It's a breakfast blend."

"Mmf, the vodka of tea." Zeus took a deep drink as Hestia laughed. The flatbread and tea weren't nectar and ambrosia, but they were hot, and handmade, and had been cooked in a divine fire. Hestia re-hung the copper kettle over the fire before tucking her knees up against her chest, her own steaming mug of tea clutched in her hands.

"How's the throne room looking?" 

"Much less trashy now that everyone's cleared out of it."

Hestia shot him a sideways glance. "Brother."

"Especially now that Hades has pissed off back to the Underprison. Without him gloaming up the place we can actually see what the damage is!"

"Brother!" Hestia's tone was scolding, but she was smiling. Zeus grinned at her, his mouth shining with butter in the firelight. Hestia sighed. "You know, for a moment during the meeting there, I thought you were almost about to get along."

Zeus snorted. "Not likely. You didn't take any hits to the head during the battle, did you?"

Hestia sighed and sipped her tea. "Is there any major structural damage?"

"Not to the throne room. Some of the non-weight-bearing pillars are cracked but that's not much to worry about." Zeus swallowed a mouthful of bread down with tea. "You did a good job today."

Hestia smiled a little nervously and looked back at the fire. "The kids did most of the real work. I just gave them a pep talk."

"Yeah, but don't act like you didn't put up defences around the architecture in the throne room. That's like, part of your job, and you obviously did it, because the important bits don't even look chipped."

Hestia flushed, her eyes fixed on the flames. "Is that what you came to say?"

"No, actually." Zeus finished off his tea with a deep gulp. "There's a couple of items I need to ask you about."

"Oh?" Hestia unhooked the kettle to refill his tea cup. 

"That little sea monkey of Barnacle Beard's mentioned something about giving you a _pithos_."

"Ye-e-es," Hestia said slowly. "He did do something like that."

Zeus leaned forwards, trying to catch the look in his sister's eye. "Where is it?"

"On the mantle in my living room. Would you like to see it?"

Zeus paused. "...No. No, I don't think that will be necessary. I'm happy for you to keep it, just don't let anyone else near it."

Hestia smiled. "Of course not."

"The other thing..."

"Hmmm?" Hestia kept her expression innocently blank, but she had a strong feeling she knew what he was about to ask.

"...what happened to the scythe, Hes?"

Hestia was quiet for a long time. Her eyes shifted from the fire to look out at the dusky sky, devoid of any hint that Typhoeus had been right on their doorstep only a handful of hours ago. "It... was melted down."

"The squirts mentioned that. But it's adamant, Hes. It doesn't just disappear." Hestia shrugged and sipped her tea. "Hestia," Zeus said, a little warningly.

"I don't think... that I should tell you," Hestia said softly. "I don't think I should tell anyone."

Zeus frowned, static crackling through his hair. "Why not?"

"Because... it's too much power. It would be too tempting for anyone, even... even you." She spoke so quietly Zeus could barely hear her over the pop of the fire as it devoured another log. "It's... one of my jobs to protect Olympus, and the family. That includes protecting people from within, too." She took a deep breath, and spoke a little stronger. "And I just don't think I can tell anyone where the scythe is with a clear conscience. Is... that okay? I-I know you're the king and that's effectively an order but..." She looked up at him, her brows knit together with worry. Zeus sighed and sat back.

"It's more than okay, Hes. You passed the test. After all, if you can say 'no' to me, who could you possibly say 'yes' to?"

Hestia laughed. All of the tension fell from her shoulders and expression. "You think I can be trusted?"

Zeus stared at the fire. In truth he knew he could never afford to trust anyone completely, even someone as mild as Hestia. She was still a fire goddess, after all, and he had known her long enough to know that she had the same cunning and stubborn streaks as all their other siblings. Not only that, she guarded the very core of Olympus. She could probably snuff out the sacred flame on a whim. If that happened, they would be titanically screwed.

"I hope so, Hes."


End file.
